Happy married life

CAMILLA
~•~
My question was met with a questioning stare from Tehilah. My father did not look surprised. He had no right to, no right at all. Tehilah forced a chuckle as she stared at me.

"Why, of course dad's coming! Francis and I have already invited him. He is going to walk me down the aisle."

Flashes of red enveloped my sight. I tried to sit still, believe me when I say that I tried. But, I just could not, especially when she was about to betray our mother in the worst way possible.

I sat up, straightened my posture, before I stared blankly at her. I did not know when a bitter and hysterical laughter escaped my throat, causing me to throw my head back and hold on to my stomach.
It was all very funny, too funny to ignore.
People were beginning to stare at us, I knew because Tehilah started to kick my leg from underneath the table.
My laughter died down, and I looked down at the both of them, bits of tears staining my cheeks.

"You mean, this man is going to walk you down the aisle? Tehilah, I'm convinced wedding gitters are getting into your head, cause what the actual fuck did you just say to me?"

"Camilla…" She opened her mouth to speak, but Aaron spoke first.

"Allow me to speak to her, Tehilah." He touched her shoulder softly, and she melted into the chair. The sight irritated me so much, I wished I could develop Hulk's strength and fling the both of them to the wall.

"Yes, Tehilah. Let him speak. Let him tell me the same damn lies he told mother, and whatever words he used to hypnotize you. Come on, Aaron. I'm listening."
I had a manic smile plastered on my face. He heaved a heavy sigh and leaned into the table.

"I loved your mother, Camilla…"

"Bullshit!" I cut in.

Tehilah's face contorted in a frown. I returned her glare.
"Camilla, behave yourself." She muttered.
I hissed and turned away from her. She was not going to be able to bear my anger if I rained it down on her.
I was going to face the one who truly deserved it.

"Some things were just bigger than your understanding." He continued. Molten rage flowed through my veins, threatening to poison both my blood and my sense of reasoning.

"Well, I don't think I'm the ten year old that cried after you anymore. So you might as well speak up before I lose my goddamn patience."

Tehilah and Aaron exchanged knowing glances, while I waited impatiently. I knew he was going to make up excuses for his behavior, I knew he was going to justify whatever it is he did, but I hoped…I hoped and prayed that I was wrong.

"Your mother and I were in love. I was in a bad place in my marriage when I met her, and she gave me peace. It started as an affair, but soon, I fell for her. And it wasn't just because of her body anymore, I fell for her soul and her heart."

All of which he shattered, but I let him carry on.

"Soon, I decided to get a divorce from my wife and be with your mother, but Josephine wouldn't let me. She refused to sign the papers, no matter what I did. By this time, we already had Tehilah. Everything was crumbling down on me and I was so confused. I wanted to be with your mother, but Josephine was going to take me to court for bigamy if I so much as dared to marry your mother. After the death of our first child, Josephine decided to let me go.
It was time to marry your mother, Bella, but I couldn't do so without the guilt in my heart. I couldn't help but feel like I wasn't there for my family, maybe that's why my son died."

Tears gathered underneath his eyelids, but they did not move me. Not even a bit.

"The guilt never left me, Camilla. I was torn between being a father for the children I had with Josephine, and a lover to your mother. I eventually chose to be a father to my kids, and I do not regret my decision. I only regret what it did to the woman I truly loved, your mother."

When he was done, a bitter laugh escaped my throat.

"A father for your children? A lover for my mother? What about Tehilah and I, weren't we your children too?"

Tehilah's eyes narrowed on me.
"Camilla."

With enraged eyes, I turned to her.

"It's enough, Tehilah! You heard what he said! All through his speech he only mentioned caring about his other children, not once did he stop to think about us! He said it himself." I turned to Aaron once more. I was done with this, completely done.

"I do not know what your plan is, what the reason for your return is, but I am done with this, okay? Tehilah might want you back, but I do not. I do not ever want to see, speak, or smell you again!"

My eyes found Tehilah, and I frowned at her.
"See, I do not know what has come over you, but that is your problem to deal with. But, if he's coming for the wedding, then do not expect to see me there."
It hurt that after everything he had done, Tehilah would want him around on the happiest and most important day in her life!
He would walk her down the aisle?
What kind of a joke was that?!
What would our mother's spirit say when she sat at the front row of the cathedral?!

Tehilah's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at me. I saw tears gather in her eyelids, she blinked hard to fight them back.

"You cannot possibly mean that, Camilla. He is my father, you are my sister."

"He gave birth to you, Tehilah. He is not your father, there is a difference. Yes, you have to choose. The man who abandoned you and drove your mother to death, or your sister who has been here all along, who held your hand under the rain on the day of your mother's funeral, which mind you, he still didn't attend? You have to choose Tehilah, and you have to choose now."

A stray tear escaped her right eye. Aaron sat back and watched. He had done what he came here for, to divide, to leave in shambles, to steal joy.

"You're not being fair, Camilla."

"Neither were you when you put me in a situation to look at his face again. Still, here we are. You're wasting my time Tehilah."

Goodness! My heart began to pound furiously against the muscular walls of my chest. I could not even believe she was thinking about this!
What was there to think about?

She stayed silent and turned her eyes to my father. She did not speak to me, but she placed her hand on his and squeezed his palm gently.
Aaron gave her a soft smile.

I do not know where it came from, but a spear drove its way into my chest, pierced straight into my heart and shattered my fragile heart into a million and one tiny pieces. I could not even gather them from the floor.
It was hard to breathe, hard to see. Hot and bitter tears choked me, and blurred my vision.
This was heartbreak in its finest.

With what remained of my dignity and sanity, I pushed my chair back and struggled to stand straight.

I staggered a bit, but soon found my stance.

Tehilah's sad eyes rested on mine. I fought hard to swallow all the words that rushed to the tip of my tongue.
I did not want to say things I could not take back. So, I muttered the only three words I could think of.

"Happy married life."